Newsroom

Designer brings fashion lineup to hub of national solar-technology hotbed

CAMARILLO, Calif., Oct. 6 – "Project Runway" winner Seth Aaron Henderson will stage a pioneering high-fashion runway collection inspired by solar technology at the very epicenter of U.S. solar power adoption – Southern California – in a showing as part of LA Fashion Week at the biggest solar-industry trade show in the Americas.

Models posing atop all-black SolarWorld Sunmodule® solar panels will show off designs in the "Seth Aaron SolarWorld Collection Presented by Portland Fashion Week" at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13, at the SolarWorld booth at Solar Power International, a photovoltaic technology trade show expected to attract more than 25,000 people. SolarWorld's Booth 3708 is located in Los Angeles Convention Center’s South Hall H. LA Fashion Week runs from Oct. 13 to 20, Solar Power International from Oct. 12 to 14.

The solar-inspired runway collection will debut Oct. 9 at the sustainable fashion showcase Portland Fashion Week, featuring a runway composed of SolarWorld's sleek black panels under the theme "Solar Is the New Black." The panels offer a homogeneous color variation for buyers interested an installing solar power technology with an aesthetic twist.

Seth Aaron, who plans to install solar on his own new home, is celebrating solar's arrival by applying his edgy design vocabulary to what he believes to be the first non-literal, high-fashion interpretation of solar technology. He partnered with SolarWorld, the largest and most experienced U.S. manufacturer of crystalline silicon solar technology, and took inspiration from its production in Hillsboro, Ore., and Camarillo, Calif., a plant north of LA that has operated continuously since 1977. The facility has set many milestones in the solar development of California, by far the nation’s photovoltaic technology leader.

"What could be cooler?" says Seth Aaron, who won Season 7 of TV's "Project Runway" competition last spring. "I get to feature my designs at key gatherings of two different crowds – enthusiasts of solar and fashion. It's what I had in mind as I took on this project. Solar's time is here, and in a way it's like a lifestyle choice for a whole society … much like fashion is for the individual. I hope my fashion interpretation of the technology can serve as something of a two-industry celebration."

Members of the media not registered to cover Solar Power International but interested in the Seth Aaron event can mention the event in registering as media at the solar trade show or, in advance, email Ashley.Dolezal@edelman.com to request registration.

SolarWorld Real Value

SolarWorld manufactures and sells solar power solutions and in doing so contributes to a cleaner energy supply worldwide. As the largest solar producer in the United States and Europe, SolarWorld employs about 3,200 people and carries out production in Hillsboro, Ore., and Freiberg and Arnstadt, Germany. From the raw material silicon to solar wafers, cells and panels, SolarWorld manages all stages of production ‒ including its own research and development. The company maintains high social standards at all locations across the globe and is committed to resource- and energy-efficient production. Headquartered in Bonn, Germany, SolarWorld was founded in 1998 and has been publicly traded on the stock market since 1999. For more information, visit www.solarworld-usa.com.